President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly established a committee led by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to facilitate a resolution of the lingering local government crisis in Osun State.

According to a report by Sunday PUNCH published on Sunday, October 18, 2026, the initiative is aimed at resolving the protracted dispute between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Osun State Government over the control and administration of local government councils.

A senior Osun State Government official, who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the committee was constituted shortly after the August 15 governorship election, during Governor Ademola Adeleke’s visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The official explained that the committee was established to develop a framework through which both parties could address the outstanding political and legal issues surrounding the dispute.

Under the proposed arrangement, the parties would first agree on a resolution framework before approaching the court to formalise an out-of-court settlement.

The source indicated that negotiations had reached an advanced stage, expressing optimism that the process could pave the way for a return to normal local government administration in the state.

Adeleke's spokesperson confirms negotiations

The governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, reportedly confirmed that the Presidency and the Osun State Government were working towards establishing a negotiation team to resolve the impasse.

Rasheed, who spoke during a private radio programme in Osogbo, said discussions had progressed considerably, although he noted that he was not directly involved in the negotiations and therefore could not provide details of the proposed settlement.

He also expressed optimism that the matter could be resolved before the 2027 general elections.

Background to the Osun LG crisis

The crisis centres on competing claims over the legitimacy of local government chairmen and councillors in Osun State, as well as the control of council secretariats and access to statutory allocations.

The dispute has generated multiple court cases and political confrontations between the APC and the state government.

The controversy involves APC-backed council officials whose continued recognition has been contested by the Adeleke administration, which maintains that the officials' tenure expired on October 25, 2025. The state government also maintains that the local government elections conducted in February 2025 produced duly elected chairmen and councillors.

The disagreement has contributed to a prolonged impasse over local government administration and the management of council funds.

The reported intervention by Tinubu's administration represents another effort to bring the contending parties to the negotiating table.

However, the precise terms of the proposed settlement, including how the outstanding legal disputes and questions surrounding council funds would be addressed, have not been publicly detailed in the report.

Any eventual agreement would still need to be formalised through the appropriate legal process.